What, If Anything, Does The Hunger Games Series Teach Us About Strategy?

This book series captivates its readers because of the multiple levels of strategy. The Games glean insights into individual survival strategies. The prominence of television teaches lessons about PR strategies. Of course, there are the larger-scale rebellion strategies. Let’s pick them apart.

Micro-Level Strategy: the Arena: every move involves strategy in the Arena: your allies, the first bloodbath, your weapons, and your interaction with the sponsors. Here’s a few things we learn:

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses – Katniss succeeds in the Games because she knows her weakness — her lack of physical strength and brutality. Head-to-head confrontation wouldn’t turn her way. Instead, she evades stronger opponents until she figures out how to gain an advantage. She exploits her strengths — her bow skills, cunning, and resourcefulness — to gain competitive advantage while minimizing her weaknesses. Other late-survivors use the same strategy (Cato, Brutus, Chaff, Peeta, Finnick, and Foxface).

Hit Your Enemy Where it Hurts – Katniss realizes that the Careers depend on Games-provided food for their strength and endurance. Once Katniss destroys the Careers’ food source, she has the upper hand. After all, the Careers don’t know how to be as resourceful and hungry. This requires high-level strategic thinking.

Pick Appropriate Allies – just having powerful allies won’t do. In Hunger Games, Katniss chooses Rue, a tiny wisp of a girl; in Catching Fire, Katniss chooses Mags, Betee and Wiress, all relative weaklings. All these choices are individuals with non-strength-based talents. A perfect match for Katniss’ own strengths. Like attracts like.

Know Who Holds the Power – in both Hunger Games and Catching Fire, Katniss escapes the Arena by attacking the true power source — the Capitol. Katniss’ defiance at the end of the 74th Games capitalized on the Capitol’s need to have a victor. Katniss had the same realization in Catching Fire as she destroyed the force field. The Hunger Games may be rigged, but you can still undermine the Gamemakers.

Intermediate-Level Strategy: Television – the Hunger Games series is a PR strategy playbook for television appearances. Peeta was the master of this strategic game. A few lessons:

Build Your Brand – throughout the series, we see how tributes paint themselves a certain way. Peeta is the gentle, affable lover-boy. Cato is the vicious brute. Katniss is a courageous, semi-innocent, and committed sister. Brand-building endears you to your audience because you represent something beyond yourself. Katniss, by her “bravery brand”, was a natural fit for the rebellion. The trick is to keep the brand consistent.

Use Television as a Weapon- the Capitol uses television as a propoaganda and a palliative machine. By making the Games required watching, the Capitol showcases its brutal power over the Districts. Peeta and the rbels twist the Capitol’s own weapon — televisin — against it. Peeta uses television to engender sympathy among the Districts and the Capitol population. The Rebels disseminate stories of Snow’s misdeeds, sowing deeper resentment in Panem. Of course, television can be an offensive or defensive weapon, choose carefully. Whoever controls television, controls information.

Macro-Level Strategy: the Rebellion – Collins provides an interesting playbook for wannabe revolutionaries. I’m not sure if all of her strategic moves lead to the best results, but here’s a few lessons we can draw:

Capitalize on Unrest – District 13 remained hidden until disquiet rose to critical levels in the remaining Districts. If District 13 had emerged before the critical unrest point, it would not have been able to gain a leadership position. The remaning districts would have been too apathetic or dubious to follow a rebellion.

Have a Rallying Point – revolutions need a clear message, a rallying point. Katniss provides one with her coup d’etat of the Gamemaker’s power during the 74th and 75th Games. Katniss’ rebellion focuses the widespread discontent towards a particular evil — the Games. History bears out the rallying point strategy. Look at the Bread Riots and the Boston Tea Party for the French and American Revolutions, respectively.

Brutalize the Enemy – Coin uses this strategy successfully. ThroughoutMockinjay, the rebels unveil Snow’s barbaric methods of preserving leadership. By posing Snow as the villain, it’s much easier for rebels to justify the great bloodshed and dangers of the revolution.

Interestingly, many of these strategies are morally ambiguous. Coin’s strategy of vilifying Snow, while successful, leads to her own brutality.[1] The brand-building PR strategy results in an one-dimensional, and sometimes false, display of many characters. Makes you wonder how realistic our “reality television” truly is.

There’s a price for any strategy, and the characters usually pay it. The moral complexity of it all gives Hunger Games deal depth.

Post Your Comment

Post Your Reply

Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particularly interesting. Called-out comments are highlighted across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.